


Tales of Christmas

by 185cmbaekhyun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Christmas Presents, Curses, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mystery, reposting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:02:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29788236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/185cmbaekhyun/pseuds/185cmbaekhyun
Summary: Every Christmas, there’s a particular gift in the pile. Nobody knows how or why, but it is ALWAYS there. Nobody says who it’s from, either; nobody wants that responsibility when the recipient always experiences some major misfortune before the new year.This isn't your typical Christmas tale
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	Tales of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Exo On Ice Fest 2020  
> Present #290
> 
> This work was deleted by me during a very ugly mental breakdown but I decided to repost it :) Hope it's okay.

_The Gift_

It took them awhile to figure out the pattern. At first, they saw it as a harmless prank, then it became a mere coincidence, then it was just too concrete to ignore. There was someone, or something, that wanted to hurt them, and it had an expiring date. Christmas became a threat, and instead of looking forward to heartwarming gifts, they dreaded for tragedies.

There was nothing magical about Christmas. Not about _their_ Christmas, as a matter of fact. It had started 8 years ago, with no reason at all, and as the years went on, it didn't seem it would end any time soon. Neon lights weren't bright enough to cast away the shadows haunting them. 

Holidays neared that year setting their nerves on edge, but at least they could now say they were somewhat used to it. That didn’t feel comforting, though. When the first snow fell, it came as a reminder that they were not safe. It was bound to happen again, whatever awaited them inside a box wrapped up neatly and shiny, colorful ribbons and exquisite cards as though they wanted to mock both their cluelessness and vulnerability. 

While everybody else welcomed Christmas with jolly spirits, they tirelessly sought ways to protect themselves for the certain incoming danger, disguised in the most deceiving ways. There weren't rules to follow, there wasn't a way to guess who would be the _lucky one,_ if you could call it that. Years were spent on deep investigation which frustratingly only led them nowhere. Whoever was behind that intricate scheme, was always one step ahead. They were kept in the dark, and every time they foolishly thought they were close to finding answers, they were only proven otherwise. 

They'd long lost the will for celebration, much less for decoration. Minseok's place was gloomy and dark. Their gazes were likewise. Despite the menaces, gathering for Christmas remained a tradition, but one for safety measures nonetheless. 

Under the tree, there were no presents, on top of the table, there was no food nor drinks to indulge their anxious cravings. They sat restlessly in the living room not knowing what to expect from the night except pain and fear. Whether it was revenge or some sort of twisted game, nobody knew. 

However, amidst all that torment, never once did they entertain the idea of being apart from one another. And maybe that was exactly what piqued their faceless, soulless assaulter’s wrath. Their bond. Unbreakable, impermeable. Nonetheless, spending Christmas apart didn't guarantee them security. 

Their lives had moved on, many things had changed through the course of years, people had left, wounds were carved, but their promises remained unbroken. They would always be there for each other. As much as hope seemed like the last thing they held onto. 

“Are we supposed to just sit here and stare at each other through the night?” It was Kyungsoo who broke the sullen silence among them. Unable to give any conclusive answer, they kept mum, feeling under the weather. 

Jongdae shifted nervously against the armchair. “We could try the turkey, but…” He trailed off, the _surprise_ from the previous year flashing darkly through his mind, sending chills down his spine. 

“But last time the turkey was the gift. Don’t remind me.” Baekhyun continued, bringing a hand around his neck and a grimace to his features. He’d been the latest victim. His eagerness for the first bite of the succulent turkey had him tragically tasting the acid poison that viciously damaged his vocal cords, taking Baekhyun’s voice away. They had to anxiously chase the antidote through the house, battling against the clock before the poison spread through Beakhyun’s body, threatening to take not only his voice, but also his life. 

Baekhyun survived under the wire. They were lucky that time, but they couldn’t rely on luck every year.

“We’re together. That’s what matters.” Suho chimed grimly. Of all of them, he carried the burden of guilt, deeming himself unworthy of holding the position of their leader, when he could barely keep them safe from the enemy. He’d been the first one to receive the gift. A miniature replica of his own car. He had absolutely loved it, even though none of the boys had remembered ever buying that specific gift.

A couple of days later the brakes of Junmyeon’s car had failed on him. The rest was history. The injury in his knee was still there, though, occasionally twinging with pain, reminding that they weren’t safe. Not by a long shot. 

“We should just cancel Christmas.” Jongin grumbled bitterly. If only they could just throw the whole date away somehow, or just skip it. That still sounded like disaster to Sehun. He missed Christmas. The innocence of it, spreading love and kindness, the anticipation of it all thrumming inside him. It sounded pathetic, but once upon a time, Sehun could really consider himself a happy guy. It was during that time of the year he felt gratitude towards it, of all the accomplishments he managed to acquire as another year reached its ending point. As the idea of Christmas slowly dwindled from him, so did the idea of happiness, like one was tied with the other. He knew it wasn’t really the case, but unlike the past, Christmas brought him anything but happiness now. And with it, there were no resolutions for the upcoming years.

It was hard to enjoy life when he knew pain was scheduled on his calendar, approaching him as the clock ticked by each second. And it hurt too, seeing everybody else gleeful and untroubled, when he and his friends couldn’t. It was selfish, but Sehun felt entitled to it.

He’d given priority to everyone but himself his whole life. It was time for a change, he thought. 

“It doesn’t matter. Whether we want it or not, one of us will receive the gift anyway.” Minseok pointed out, head leaning heavily against the door, interrupting Sehun’s train of thought. Sometimes, he wished he could have a break from his brain. 

“Trust me, if I could I would get all those gifts myself to spare you.” Junmyeon scrubbed a hand down his face, uneasily. A couple of years ago they’d given up exchanging gifts altogether, but they were still sitting ducks. The gift could be hanging from the mistletoe, or tucked under the tree, just waiting to strike. They could be hidden anywhere. 

“I have an idea,” Chanyeol blurted suddenly. His eyes widened skeptically once all eyes fell on him, curious and disbelieving. “I mean, it’s just a suggestion.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Let’s go shopping right now. Let’s buy each other whatever we want on the spot. No time for wrapping them up or piling them up under a tree. We buy, we give. Right there and then.”

The room remained stuck in silence as they weighened their options. It didn’t sound like such a bad idea, if they held onto the little optimism they had left. Risky all the same, but at this point anything they did had to be. Something akin to hope bubbled inside Sehun’s chest. This could be their chance at having a safe, carefree Christmas again.

“You think that’d work?” Kyungsoo questioned, brow furrowed deeply.

“We could give it a shot. We haven’t tried doing it outside, right? Whatever this thing is, it seems to find us when we’re indoors. So I say, let’s head out for a change.”

“I’m pretty sure this thing won’t follow us without us noticing. I think we should go for it.” Jongin chipped in, sympathizing with Chanyeol’s plan. Collectively, they all glance at Junmyeon, seeking for approval. Expectancy was running high.

Junmyeon showed a hint of hesitancy for a moment, jittery leg bouncing. Sehun held his breath as he stared at their leader. Without Junmyeon’s assent, they would be going nowhere.

“Okay, let’s do it.” Junmyeon said at last, and Sehun finally allowed himself to breathe.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Luckly, the city of Seoul never slept. Amidst the bustling streets of Hongdae, Sehun took his lingering gaze off of the enormous Christmas tree adorned with glistening ornaments and glowing fairy lights draped around it. The festively designed decorations could be spotted at all corners, illuminated with blinking Christmas lights, vibrant ornaments and brightly colored signs, were lined up along either side of the street, full of wonders to the eyes. Sehun sighed in awe, basking in the peacefulness and joy of that moment. _This was what Christmas was all about._

Strolling alongside the magnificently structured buildings, they slipped into the crowd of people and stood in a long queue of bustling customers at a random shop. Minseok was the first one to go.

Jongdae boldly strode into a store, picked up the first pretty bag he saw behind a showcase window and shoved it into the elder’s hand, saying an exhilareted ‘It’s yours, hyung’. Tension played over their gaut features as Minseok clutched the bag into his chest, eyes wide in shock. It was empty inside, and empty it remained. Harmless, inanimate. For a moment none of them moved, until Jongdae shrugged and headed towards the cashier to pay for the new acquisition.

It worked. 

It was enough to light up their spirits, sparkling a little hope in their hearts. With the rest of the night ahead of them, they kept on their little adventure, bustling around different stores, randomly buying all sorts of gifts, spending their money away without a care as though to compensate for the ones they lost the chance of getting before. Soon, there were genuine smiles forming on their features, replacing the ones of worry. 

Sehun had his hands full of bags, and although he didn't really need half the things he'd been bought, it still felt heartwarming to have received them. In return, he'd bought hyungs the most expensive gifts. He felt powerful when he watched the thrill unfurling over their faces upon receiving their respective presents. There was only one of them left to scratch off his list. And as usual, he had Sehun losing all his cool and his heart set in overdrive just by standing next to him. 

Sehun's knees went wobbly just by thinking about being able to be the source of the other's smile. He'd been in love with Jongin for as long as he could remember. They had history, a beautiful one, so to speak, that had to be interrupted in order to preserve their years of friendship. He convinced himself it would be better this way, having Jongin as only a friend was a million times better than not having him at all. They had basically grown up together, friends before lovers. 

Although their friendship had prevailed, Sehun couldn't help but think it was a bit off-kilter lately. It was in the way he kept catching Jongin staring at him longingly, as if he couldn't take his eyes off him. It was in the way his touches lingered on Sehun's skin, the way they happened more often than before, or the way his voice softened and cracked whenever he called Sehun's name. Sehun couldn't read too much into it, because he refused to cultivate the idea that Jongin still felt something for him, when he was the one who broke things off between them in the first place. 

Sehun tried to keep things minimal between them, no strings attached. However, the longer he stayed close to watch Jongin continuously fall in love with other people, the more it drifted Sehun away. Matter of factly, this wasn't the time to set things straight with the other, not when they had way more crucial problems to work out, but the day had been flourishing smoothly, so Sehun thought he might as well go big or go home. 

He was now lagging behind his friends, watching as Jongin giggled and dangled a small keychain in the air, marveled at the glowing little bears tweaking against one another. There were many reasons as to why Sehun loved Jongin. He thought his smile was on top of the list. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Jongin smiling so truthfully under Christmas lights and suave drops of snowflakes. 

"Hey, bro. You coming?" Chanyeol's voice startled him, and Sehun turned back with a slight shake of his head. 

"Uh? Yeah. I was wondering," He paused, shifting closer to his hyung. "I want to get Jongin something nice. What should I buy?"

Chanyeol briefly eyed him suspiciously. He was aware. Of everything. And he also knew Sehun too well to let that go unnoticed. "Anything. Seriously. He'll like anything. He's easy to please." He said without judging, much to Sehun's relief. 

Sehun hummed, not pleased with Chanyeol's response, though he detected no lies in it. Jongin was beautiful and kind through and through. There were a thousand gifts Sehun wanted to buy him, but those no amount of money could buy. 

"Get him something silly. He loves those." Chanyeol suggested then, jerking his chin towards a toy store right around the corner. Sehun grinned upon spotting it, its wide, colorful doors as inviting as ever. He dragged Chanyeol by the wrist, heart already fluttering as he envisioned Jongin's endearing smile towards him.

  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


Sehun stuck to the plan. He saw it, he grabbed it, he paid for it, he gave it. Jongin stared at him with his mouth agape and utter disbelief as Sehun awkwardly held the toy in his palms. He could feel himself blushing furiously, but he fought it off as best as he could by hardening his features. His jaw clenched, and he hissed through his teeth. "This is for you, hyung."

Jongin's whole face broke down into a wonderful grin, and his eyes sparkled mirthfully. "For me? I didn't think you'd give me anything."

"Why not?" Sehun asked, astonished, a little bit offended. Then he remembered he should hold himself accountable for that. He had to admit he went a bit overboard with his avoiding Jongin. "Just take it." He insisted, feeling a little pathetic. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were watching that whole fiasco. 

"Okay. Thank you." Jongin timidly accepted the toy, held it in his hands as he examined it closely. It was a dancing brown bear. Well, only his big head did the dancing, bouncing back and forth. It was cute and silly, just the way Jongin liked it. 

"Do you like it? Should I return it?" Distressed, Sehun almost snatched the toy off Jongin's hand, but stopped just when his fingers brushed Jongin's stronger ones wrapped around the dancing bear.

"I love it. I really do." Jongin swallowed heavily, trying to maintain his smile off but failing miserably. He watched the bear loll his head. Jongin giggled, comically trying to mimic the toy with a pout on his lips. Sehun's heart skipped three thousand beats in a second. 

"I've got you something too." Jongin confessed, pulling himself straight. Sehun frowned, but before he could protest, Jongin shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a braid strands colorful bracelet. He fumbled with it a little, as if deciding if he should really give it to Sehun. "I didn't buy it. I made it. It's a lucky charm." He said, gently placing it into Sehun's hands. 

Sehun stares at it dumbly for a few long seconds, trying to get his heart to stop racing. 

"You're supposed to put it on," Jongin urged him sheepishly. Sehun broke out of his daze and smiled, extending his wrist towards Jongin. 

"Would you?"

Jongin obliged, taking Sehun's pinkish wrist into his large, veiny hand. Sehun's skin tingled a little where Jongin touched. He silently, ever so gently tied the bracelet around Sehun's wrist, his own fingers trembling slightly. 

"Thank you. I'll never take it off." Sehun mumbled, starstruck. 

"Merry Christmas, Oh Sehun." Jongin muttered cheerfully. Sehun met his eyes, his contagious smile. 

"Merry Christmas, Kim Kai."

For the first time in ages, it really felt like Christmas. 

  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


He found it in the depths of a shopping bag as soon as he got home. His hyungs were already laying around the living room as they indulged themselves with the freshly cooked street food they picked up at a random stand, after kindly demanding the vendor to prepared the dish for them to witness. Caution was always a must. It was as good as the Christmas dinner they should have had at home, only safer.

The fireplace was already lit and cracking, providing them warmth and the comfortable sense of safety. 

They all had Santa Claus hats tugged snugly on their heads. Baekhyun and Jongdae started harmonizing Christmas carols, and Junmyeon for once, looked content. They facetimed Yixing, who was held in his hometown in China, to make sure the cursed gift didn't get shipped all the way to China like it had been before. Distance never meant safety for them either. Thankfully, Yixing said he was in the clear, and the rest is all celebration. 

Sehun stared at the card skeptically, clueless of what to make of it. It was just a skillfully hand-crafted greeting Christmas card, though Sehun didn't recall receiving any from the hyungs. It was empty inside. Not a threat, nor a signature. There was nothing. 

Sehun wondered if it meant anything at all, but something about it mysteriously popping up inside his bag didn't sit right with him. Santa Claus smiled at him on the front side of the card, and after staring at it for too long, the smile became some kind of bizarre. He wanted to ask, just to make sure he isn't unnecessarily making things up.

But then he looked at his hyungs, saw them laughing under a vivacious atmosphere, a sight he was deprived of seeing for too long. Something that he would never want to disrupt. Something they had earned.

Sehun shoved the card back inside the bag and pushed it aside, joining the others on the couch, snuggling close to Jongin's side, safe and sound where he wanted to be. 

Where he belonged. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_The Curse_

Sehun holed himself up in his village penthouse the very next morning, isolating himself from the world, phone turned off and unreacheable. He was a sitting duck now, he was a danger. Minutes melted into hours that melted into days, and Sehun just couldn’t peel his eyes off that blank note, skipping meals and sleep both, sustaining himself only by the sheer will of unraveling that mystery, just waiting until the devil knocked on his door.

When the knock actually came through, it didn't startle him. Sehun dragged himself to the door tiredly, expecting a worried Chanyeol to scold him and drag him out - He was the only one who could possibly guess Sehun’s whereabouts.

Coming across Jongin standing at his door, now that startled him. No sooner had he pried the door open, than Jongin was setting foot inside the apartment, leaving Sehun no option than moving aside and letting him in, confused and speechless, as if he'd been caught sinning. 

“What’re you doing here?”

“What are _you_ doing here?” Jongin returned humorlessly. “I called your father. He said you had a schedule for the next week. I know you don’t. What’s going on?” The sternness drifting into Jongin’s voice left no room for Sehun to back away. He felt exposed suddenly. He considered for a split second to spit out excuses - I’ve been spending some quality time with a hookup - But the words get stuck in his tongue and his brain shortcut. 

“I need to be alone. I have to.” He said by means of explanation. Jongin shook his head, crossing his arms. He looked uncertain, straining his neck like he tended to do when he was distressed. Jongin got angry quite easily, and he could be scary too when he let his emotions get the best of him. He shuffled closer to Sehun, then, slowly and tentatively. When they were eye-to-eye, affliction the only thing between them, he murmured.

“Talk to me, Sehun. Tell me what’s going on.” Instead of anger, Jongin’s voice was laced with worry, a certain sadness underlying his words. 

Sehun’s breath hitched, and he crumbled, bit by bit, in front of Jongin. “I’ve got it. Something’s going to happen soon. Something bad. I can’t let any of you be near me.” He choked out the words, realizing then they’d been stuck in his throat, struggling to get out.

“Wait Sehun, slow down. What are you talking about?” Jongin’s hand settled on his shoulders, simmering down Sehun’s outburst. He took a breath to regain his composure, straightening his shoulders.

“I can show you.” He dashed into his room, where the cursed card had been sitting ever since Sehun locked himself up. Jongin followed him quietly, taking a seat at the side of the bed beside Sehun. “When we went Christmas shopping, I found this.” He handed the card to Jongin. “I don’t know where it came from. It’s empty, but it has my name. I honestly don’t know what it is, but I know it doesn’t look good. I mean, all things considered, this can’t mean anything good.”

Jongin studied the card silently, though there wasn’t much to inspect, so to speak.the silence and the tension between them grew impossibly thicker, so Sehun asked, in an unnerved small voice. “It doesn’t mean anything, right?” 

Jongin kept quiet, frozen. Sehun repeated. “Tell me it doesn’t. I need to hear that, please.”

“I’m going to stay over tonight. We have a lot to talk about.” Was what Jongin said, pushing himself up, leaving Sehun aghast and stock-still. There was something Jongin wasn’t telling him, and it only made Sehun’s trepidations soar, already dreading whatever Jongin planned to tell him.

“Wait, what do you mean?”

Jongin managed a meek smile, but it was clearly only to make matters up. “I think we need some tea first. Come on.” 

  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  


“I’ve been doing some digging on my own.” Jongin started over a sip of warm tea as they sat in front of the floor to ceiling windows. Underneath them, the city was covered in snow and the sky was as grey as their mood. The card laid between their feet, still empty and too full at the same time. 

“I know we’ve been doing it for years now, to no avail. But Junmyeon hyung always wants to stick to…” He gestured aimlessly. “Regularities. I think this thing goes beyond that.”

“Who is it? Who’s doing this to us?”

“It’s not a who. It’s a what.” Jongin cradled a hand through his hair and set his cup down on the carpeted floor as he put his thoughts in order. Sehun grew curious and antsy by the minute, but he didn’t push it.

“This thing can’t possibly be human, not with all the tricks it has up its sleeve. It moves too fast and umpercitably. I had my doubts for a while about this. This is a curse. Literally.”

Sehun swallowed, trying to process Jongin's words. Realistically speaking, it wasn't difficult to understand, just hard to believe. 

“You mean as in someone actually hexed us? As in playing voodoo with us?” The mere thought of it sent chills down Sehun's spine, an odd feeling that he was being watched, followed as they spoke, like nowhere was safe, not even under the roof of his own place.

“Something worse,” Jongin continued. “There are a few similar cases to us. I found it on the deep web. I know, not too credible, but the similarities couldn’t be a coincidence. There are cults, seeking for power and wealth of all sorts. They make deals with the devil, but to be granted their wishes, they must sacrifice a soul.”

“Our soul? All of us?” Sehun guessed. He took a gulp of his tea, wondering if Jongin had noticed when he slipped a couple shots of vodka in it, hoping to make all of that nonsense at least a little bearable. It didn't. 

“I’m not sure. I think so.” Jongin mumbled, sounding tired, and a little unstable too. "I haven't shared this with them yet." 

Overall, It made sense that it was Jongin the one to take it upon himself to riddle this mystery and put things into perspective. Sehun didn’t think anyone could be as suitable as him to shed some light on all of Sehun’s doubts. As crazy as that sounded, Sehun trusted him blindly. It was a possible answer to an unresolved question, after all. 

“Do you think any of us would be able to do something like that?”

“Not us. Not even our parents. Apparently this evil entity skips a few generations.”

"That's not very reassuring." Sehun glanced over at the card at their feet, still as empty as before. The more he looked at it, the more apparent it became that it carried an unseen threat. "Do you think this is it? This is one of them?"

Jongin’s gaze followed Sehun’s trail, landing on the omen. "Probably,"

"So that's how it feels… I wonder how Chanyeol endured this for three years in a row."

"It's not easy at all." Jongin spoke by experience. Just before Chanyeol, he was the one who’d hit the jackpot. He had received a pair of pointe shoes in a pretty box, and a few days later, unable to escape a twisted fate, he badly injured his ankle during practice. Up to that day, he could no longer dance without feeling a stubborn, excruciating pain. However, he never once stopped dancing, passionate as ever, refusing to give in to evil. 

"What can an empty card even mean?"

Jongin’s brow creased in deep thoughts, and he brought a hand to tap against his chin like he tended to do when he was shy or nervous. 

"Tracing back all other gifts, I've figured they're some sort of omen, you know?"

"Like a forewarning." Sehun surmised. Emptiness to him could only mean one thing. Death. He drew a deep breath, trying for calm.

"I think you might lose your memory. That's the only thing I can think of." Jongin croaked, his voice lowering to an almost inaudible tone. He sounded utterly scared, in a way Sehun had never heard him sound before. He broke into a cold sweat, and hugged his knees to his chest. Somehow, that sounded worse than death. 

"Do You-- How's your mind?" Jongin questioned, licking his lips as though he thought the question wasn’t well formulated, or maybe too evasive. Sehun frowned, trying to recall the oldest memory he had buried in the back of his mind. He saw his parents smiling at him, his favorite toy growing up, then it all merged into darkness and monsters, replacing everything that was once bright, and he shivered. 

"Loud, messy."

"Can you remember... our first kiss?"

Sehun sucked in a breath, suddenly at a loss for words. Jongin had been his first kiss, his first everything. And those memories were bound to live with him for as long as he breathed. "Of course. It was my very first kiss." He felt himself blushing a little, remembering how awkward it was, how at that time, he thought he’d burst into lights and rainbows, too inexperienced and overeager. "I don't want to forget that." He added truthfully. Jongin had made it special for him, just for the sole fact that it was _him_. 

It wasn't something they acknowledged often. It was their little secret, though he suspected they were very bad at keeping themselves under the radar. Especially around the boys. The fact that Jongin was clearly mentioning it now, under the circumstances they were in, sent alarms into his ears. It meant something, more than just a casualty, unlike Jongin had stated before. 

"Sehun…" Jongin whispered, paused. "I want to give you something to remember me by. Just in case."

Sehun's heart leapt. Jongin was moving closer. "What is it?"

Through hooded eyes, Jongin's gaze fell to Sehun's lips, and he bit his lip unconsciously. Sehun's body grew still and his mind went fuzzy, and the world stopped. It stayed still as none of them moved, because if they did, they knew they wouldn't be able to stop. Sehun was the one who drew their lips together, just a light press, just a shy taste. Jongin's lips felt just like he remembered. Soft and reassuring. They parted for a brief second, only to seek each other's mouth frantically again, this time kissing harder and desperate, heads tipping in opposite sides for better access, their noses brushing, tongues curling. 

Soon, Jongin's mouth was pressing hot and wet against his neck and Sehun could feel it everywhere, oozing down his spine and radiating out to tingle in each toe and fingertip. It crawled up his scalp, making him shiver and slip his eyes shut. He turned that sensation into a tentative roll of his hips and his fingers grew restless, digging into Jongin’s hair. Sehun wasn’t 100% sure he was completely inside his own body at that point. He felt like he was floating, his eyes closed and his body hollow, his skin vibrating around him.

They’d gotten to sitting on the couch eventually, but Sehun didn’t really remember that part. He was more focused on Jongin’s hands on his hips, each thumb tucked into a belt loop on either side, pulling him close against him, kissing hungrily along his jaw.

Sehun was barely managing to breathe when Jongin shifted between his thighs so Sehun could settle on his lap. He didn’t have enough time to anticipate what was about to happen before he felt friction up against his erection through his jeans. His brain sort of whited out in a flash before a series of ‘oh my gods’ exploded in his mind. He couldn't think straight anymore because Jongin had let out the sweetest groan against Sehun’s throat and it felt like that sound was moving into his chest right out of Jongin’s mouth.

He was briefly hyper-focused on the places where his hands were gripped up in Jongin’s black shirt, just under the collar at Jongin’s shoulders, in between each brush against his cock. He couldn’t stand that the texture under his fingertips is the tiny coils of the fabric and not Jongin’s skin. That feeling pulled a frustrated noise out of him. Sehun tugged at the shirt persistently, and Jongin immediately pulled back, whispering, “Sorry--”

“No, it’s okay,” Sehun managed hoarsely, “can we take this off you?”

Jongin nodded quickly and let out a full breath while he pulled his shirt off of himself. and Sehun only had the vaguest idea of maybe taking his own shirt off too before Jongin was kissing him gently and closed-mouthed, with his hand at Sehun’s jaw again. His index fingers slotted at the tender spots just between his ear lobe and the thick muscles that ran down each side of his neck to the dip between Sehun’s collarbones. 

Jongin’s fingertips clutched at him like letting go would break his heart, so Sehun pressed closer, tucking his toes in under Jongin’s thighs and his arms wrapping around to rest low on Jongin’s back, at the dip of his spine where his skin was damp with sweat. Sehun grinded his hips against Jongin, kissed at Jongin’s upper lip. He pulled back and shed his own shirt quickly, slumping back into Jongin’s arms.

The warmth emitting from Jongin felt scalding hot now. Jongin banded his arms around Sehun’s waist and Sehun slid his hands into Jongin’s dark, thick hair, cupping Jongin’s head in his hands. He had a brief moment of clarity where he realized he needed to see Jongin’s face.

“Are you sure about this?” Sehun asked, watching Jongin blink through the dazed look on his face.

“Y-yes,” Jongin said, with effort. “I need you to remember me.”

“Do you want to go further?” He effortlessly held his face neutral, though he still concentrated on Jongin's responses, just to make sure. Surely, he would like to keep going, but Jongin had said no to this question before, though they hurt, Sehun had never overstepped his boundaries. This time, Sehun didn’t want to let a careless facial expression make Jongin think that he had any expectations. Even though he was overflowing with them.

“Yes,” Jongin rasped, more solidly this time, after a moment. Sehun appreciated that Jongin gave it thought. He knew Jongin sometimes took longer to process things internally, mulled over variations and consequences both. Satisfied with his answer, Sehun languidly rolled his hips against Jongin a few times, just watching his face, looking into his eyes. His mind pointed out the fact that Jongin was looking right back into Sehun, seeing him, and it made him feel high.

“Do you want to fuck me?” Sehun asked him, going still again, stopping the distraction.

“Yes,” Jongin breathed, bucking his hips up into Sehun slowly, eyes going slightly hazy. Sehun felt a striking urge to take care of him, make him feel good, kiss his trepidations away.

Jongin seemed to mirror those exact emotions, looking at him like Sehun was every mote of dust in a stunning nebula, like Sehun was somehow responsible for every particle making up everything. Jongin was looking at him like he filled the incredible spaces between Jongin’s atoms, like Sehun was the universe, like Sehun is his context, and the very fabric of reality. Nothing else existed for a moment or maybe forever because time was gone too, broken by an enormous, painful, perfect feeling that inflated Sehun's heart, choked his breath, forced tears into his eyes. The feeling barely fit inside him and, thereupon, he never wanted it to stop.

  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Later, when they were spent and sore, naked and sweaty, Jongin gently lowered Sehun into the tub, which was nearly full with warm, bubbly water, faucet still running. Jongin turned it off before settling in behind him so that Sehun could melt in the steaming water, sagging into Jongin's chest. The loofah, bubbly with soap was too rough for his sensitive skin to handle right now, so he insisted Jongin used his hands to spread Sehun’s body wash all over him. The sensation was just as vivid, but soft, tender, intimate.

This was Sehun's favorite part, the comedown, the aftercare. It’s obvious in the way Jongin clings, savors each soothing pass his hands make over Sehun’s skin, that he enjoys those post orgams bliss just as much. He fell into it, similar to the way he fell into dancing, consumed by the moment entirely, focused, dedicated to his task, passionate. 

Jongin’s hands rinsed away the soap from Sehun's body, and then scooted him forward in the tub so he could lower Sehun back into the water and wet his hair, letting a hand on the back of his neck keep his face above the surface. Sehun’s ears were submerged and the world was silent but for his own steady heartbeat, the whoosh of his breath in and out of his lungs. The green and red of the tiled walls were reflected in the water and bounced around the room. It cast a subtle tint on Jongin’s face, making Sehun feel like he was in a Christmas fairy tale. He could see Jongin, upside-down from this position, smiling at him softly, closing in to press a kiss to his forehead. Jongin’s other hand came to his face, thumb spreading water across one cheek, then stroking the underside of his chin and the very top of his throat, so sweet and gentle. He felt valuable. He felt safe.

Jongin was his very personal gift.

He shifted in the small space of the tub, making water slosh around them, and rest his head against Jongin’s chest, like he did the first time they kissed. Like he did in the first of their many perfect moments, in the memory he replayed on loop diligently even after all those years. He went back to that memory, not the first time he let himself think about how much he felt for Jongin, but the first time he didn’t stop himself at some point, the first time he got to swim in those feelings. 

The depth of it still filled up all the empty spaces inside him. When Jongin looked at his face like he was perfect, he felt perfect,regardless of the curses haunting him. Sehun tilted his head up, pressed a kiss against Jongin’s cheek. 

"I'll never forget you, Jongin." He whispered softly, committing to mind Jongin's smile. Not even if he died, he'd dared erasing it from his memory.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_The Vanishing_

When Sehun cracked his eyes open the next morning, the other side of the bed was vacant, with nothing but rumpled sheets and the soothing smell of Jongin’s scent lingering around him. Outside, the sun was beaming faintly and the snow falling had whitered. Sehun’s brow creased for a moment, before glimpses of the previous night and their extensive round of sex started playing behind his eyelids. His skin tingled where Jongin held him firmly, his ass was still sore. Jongin had gone quite rough on the second round, by Sehun’s request. He felt himself blushing a little at the thought, even though no one had witnessed all the dirty things he’d said and done, when he realized his mind was as clear as day. All his memories were still there, well stored and vivid. Beyond thrilled, he sprang out of the bed and dashed towards the kitchen, where he expected to meet Jongin preparing them an appetizing breakfast. Sehun wanted to surprise him with a back hug, whisper in his ear that he was ready for another round, that they could do it right there in the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty.

Sehun carried on searching through the penthouse with a bubbling sensation in his chest, feeling like he’d been caught in a game of hide and seek. Jongin was full of surprises to spice things up, as far as Sehun could remember. He looked around the whole apartment twice, when things started to feel oddly out of place.

Jongin wasn’t there.

An obscure ache tugged at his heart at the thought of Jongin leaving without a goodbye kiss. Not when he made Sehun feel like he mattered, like _they_ mattered. Sehun took a breath and pushed his negative thinking aside, searching around the apartment. Jongin was nowhere. Sehun scrambled back to his bedroom, hoping to find a scribbled note, anything that could assure Jongin hadn’t just evacuated without a warning.

He sat himself on the bed, crestfallen. As he willed his emotions to not spiral out of control he spotted the mobile phone placed on the nightstand, neglected. Panic instantly struck his senses, building like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of his stomach. Jongin would never go out without his phone. His mind screamed in alertness, so he tussled for the phone anxiously. 

There were a couple of missed calls and unread messages. Nothing much. All the rest was inaccessible, locked up behind a password. Sehun stared down as he hacked his brain for a possible alternative. Long were minutes were spent on trying to figure out the password, while Sehun only grew frustrated and downright hopeless. By pure instinct, he types out his birth date, and unexpectedly, the phone unlocks. 

His triumph didn't last too long when he realized there was nothing useful on the device. He only found countless pictures of his nephew and niece and dancing videos. He tried to not feel bad when he opened Jongin's chains of text messages. He had a chat with his mother, their group chat, and another one with his manager. Again, a dead end. 

On the verge of freaking out, Sehun called every single number saved on the contact list. He managed to dodge the real issue pretty well, pinching in some 'good mornings' and 'take cares' behind strained smiles. He saved the most important contact for last, and by the time the line was picked up, Sehun was choking on a sob.

"Hyung. I think Jongin's gone."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When junmyeon spoke, he sounded wary and distraught. 

"Sehun, calm down. Speak slower. What's going on?" He questioned through the line, and the distress in his voice made Sehun realize just how desperate he sounded, tripping over his own words. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and guarded himself with a deep breath before continuing. 

"I can't find him. I don't know where he is." He still sounded broken and forlorn, deeply under his steady words. His hands were still shaking, and his heart - It felt gelid, beating sharply inside his chest. Junmyeon lagged on the line, digesting it all. Sehun could tell through the other’s ragged breathing reaching his ear. 

"Why are you using his phone?"

"He left it here."

There was another pause, and it sounded heavy. Sehun realized that in order to get Junmyeon's help, he would have to come clean with him. About everything. Junmyeon knew him like the palm of his hand, and even if he tried, he wouldn’t succeed in keeping him in the dark. Regardless, there were no secrets between them.

"Where are you right now?"

"My place,"

"Were you alone with him? All night?" 

Sehun sighed. There was no point in lying. Sehun would no longer neglect his feelings, not when Jongin was already sleeping through his fingers, leaving him powerless before he could even taste power. 

"... Yeah. He spent the night here. With me."

One word to the wise was sufficient. Junmyeon would definitely scold him later for being reckless with his feelings, for having his heart broken once wasn't enough, but as far as Sehun was concerned, one could never cherish love without enduring pain. He was well schooled about that. 

"Sehun… what happened?"

"I woke up and he was gone." The bedsheets were fresh and warm, Jongin's touch still lingered on his skin where he pressed beside him through the night. He had stayed, but at some point, he had vanished, unnoticed. 

"Are you sure? Why are you so shaken up?" Junmyeon inquired, sounding just as shaken up. Sehun felt terrible for ruining his holidays, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that Jongin needed him too, all of them, wherever he was. 

"Because-- He told me things." Sehun said, then his next words made it become too real. "He's in danger."

"Does this have anything to do with… the gifts?" Junmyeon's voice lowered cautiously. Sehun could hear chattering and soft laughter in the background, and he felt guilty for disrupting that. 

"I got one, hyung." He confessed, and if it was supposed to relieve him, it didn't. The pain and the fear only expanded. All the way through the phone connection towards Junmyeon 

"Okay, I'm coming over."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


It was a few hours later when the rest of the members barged into his apartment, Junmyeon coming into view last, with an apology hanging in his eyes.

"Sorry, they just tagged along. I hope you don't mind."

Already, they were sprawled on the couch, right there where Sehun had forced the first orgasm out of Jongin. He tried to avoid those thoughts and cleaned his throat discreetly. Kyungsoo had intruded into the kitchen and straight up opened the fridge, out of habit or just nervousness. He tended to do that whenever. Minseok was surveying the windows, watchful. Like he feared something was watching them. Maybe there was.

When Sehun turned on his heels, he met Baekhyun's stunned eyes blinking up at him, drenched in worry, relief and curiosity all at once. 

"Did you sleep with him? Are you guys serious?" He looked surprised, but also cheery.

"Hyung, he's literally missing." Sehun groaned, shoving past him. He felt the elder on his toe, but at least he could no longer see the mortification in Sehun's face. 

"Nah… he probably went to get some latte and got distracted with something on the way back." Chanyeol chimed, legs comfortably spread on the couch. Sehun threw him a glare of disapproval. He rarely disagreed with the man, but implying that Jongin was that witless wasn't the most appropriate thing to do at that moment. 

"You said you got the gift. It doesn't make sense for Jongin to be gone." Minseok remarked, leaning against the window glasses, thick arms crossed over his chest. He was still as small as a cat, despite his spunky demeanor.

"It actually makes a lot of sense." Jongdae cut in ruefully, and the whole room fell unpleasantly quiet. He was right. It was actually quite brilliant that for Sehun, the price to pay would involve harming Jongin some way. It made him not only guilty, but briefly regretful of his feelings as well. 

On top of all that, now everyone in the room was certain Sehun had feelings for Jongin, not that it was any hard to miss. And also, that they had had sex the night prior. Ah, that was just lovely.

"What was it? That you got?" Junmyeon asked, as if to save Sehun from his own misery. Sehun exhaled, feeling his embarrassment slowly dissolve as he focused on the real matter. 

"This," He pulled the card out of his pockets. It was crumpled and wrinkled at the corners now. "We were trying to figure out what that might mean. But I guess we've got the answer now."

He threw it on the coffee table, still as empty as before. The guys collectively huddled together to inspect all the nothingness engraved on it. They looked as confused as Sehun when he had first seen it. 

"Are you gonna explain or are we supposed to guess?" Kyungsoo wasn't in the mood for riddles. None of them were, apparently. Sehun rubbed a palm down his face, letting his shoulders slump. 

It was time they knew. 

"Have a seat, guys. I have a lot to fill you in."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Several pairs of eyes stared up at him in static confusion. There was no response from them whatsoever, which made Sehun a little ill-at-ease in front of their shell-shocked expressions. He was definitely not as expert as Jongin was on the whole supernatural subject, but he thought he put things across pretty neatly. 

“A curse? You mean like black magic and witches and shit?” Baekhyun spluttered, his eyes practically bulging out of its sockets. He also giggled nervously. He was scared shitless. 

“Are we supposed to believe that? Seriously?” Kyungsoo chortled, distrustfully with a tedious scowl on his features. “The guy whose hobbies include watching trashy horror movies every weekend for fun?”

“I believe him.” Sehun huffed out, his composure close to snapping. “And no, he didn’t just get distracted or bored or made up a silly story because he saw it in a movie. He might be in serious danger right now so I don’t care if you believe him or not.”

“It doesn’t matter. We need to focus on finding him first, then we can discuss the rest.” Jongdae cut in sternly, bringing their quarreling to a standstill. Tension was still flooding the room, sharp and palpable. 

“Where do we even begin?” Minseok raised the question, determination strong in his voice. 

“We can split up. Drive around for a while. You must know a few places of his preference he must have gone to spend some time, maybe to get his mind off things?” Suggested Junmyeon, nodding at Sehun for reassurance. 

“I bet Taemin is hiding him. Or Moonkyu. Or both.” Baekhyun said, springing out of the couch and pocketing his car keys, as ready as he’d ever been, stirring up the others to get down to business. Suddenly, they were all up and running. 

“We should check the internet too. Usually when he’s seen out and about, people tweet about it. It’s worth a shot.” Chanyeol whisked out his phone and promptly started typing out. And then they were all scurrying about when Kyungsoo halted in his tracks suddenly, as if he was suddenly struck with the realization they were doing something erroneous.

“Shouldn’t we just call the police?” 

“Not for now. We don’t know how risky it can be to involve someone else.” Junmyeon intervened, clasping a hand around the other's shoulder. Kyungsoo wasn't the easiest guy to influence, especially when he was so on edge. He hesitated, stared hard at the hand around his shoulder, until he finally gave in. 

“Right. But if the clock hits midnight and he’s still not here, I won’t hesitate.”

“The cops won’t help.” Sehun muttered. There were no laws befitting to what they were up against. That didn't aggravate Kyungsoo's disturbances any less.

“So what do you suggest? That we perform some kind of ritual for the Devil?”

A laugh trundled out of Sehun's lips, even though what he wanted to do the most was the exact opposite of that - He was again on the verge of tears - He shrugged then, because as much as it sounded comical, if that was what it took in the end, he would do it. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


The clock struck midnight.

They were back at the apartment without Jongin. Each one of them was overcome by the sense of hopelessness. Sehun sat with his head in hands, desolate, the most gruesome thoughts running wild in his mind. He felt weak and useless. Guilty also tortured him from the inside, for he couldn’t even notice when Jongin simply vanished right by his side. How could he be so stupid and careless? Downhearted, he pulled at his own hair, no longer capable of holding on his tears. Every time he closed his eyes, he was assaulted with images of Jongin. Bleeding, crying, alone. That is, if he was even alive. 

“What do we do now? What if he never comes back?” Baekhyun croaked by his side, just as wrecked as Sehun was. Sehun shot him a deadly glare from where he had his head hanging low on his hands, so Minseok quickly reprehended. 

“Byun Baekhyun, you’re not helping.”

“What? I’m freaking out myself. His mother is already asking questions. We can’t stall for much longer, guys.” He exclaimed in outrage. Uptightly, Sehun pressed his fingers against his temples to soothe the throbbing pain creeping up his head. 

“He’s right. Sehun, did he tell you anything else? Anything useful? Any hints?” Junmyeon pressed just as he offered a glass of water with sugar to Sehun, as if that would help cease his troubles. Sehun took it and held it, stared at it, realizing his hands were trembling. His throat was dry, but water was the last thing he needed. 

“I-- I don’t think so… I’m not sure. I feel like he didn’t tell me everything.”

As he replayed the night before over and over in his mind, he caught on all the unspoken words reflecting right there on Jongin's eyes that Sehun couldn't read into.

“You had all fucking night to talk.” Chanyeol jabbed, unswerving and upfront. He was obviously angry, which was quite unsettling, considering his perpetual laid back personality. Sehun couldn't help thinking he was the reason for their anger.

“They got busy, dude. They weren’t going to talk about witchcraft mid-thrust.” Baekhyun threw a cushion at him, which Chanyeol managed to skillfully dodge. He threw one back right off the bat, hitting Baekhyun squarely on the face. 

“God, can we please just call the damn cops? This isn’t funny anymore.” Kyungsoo groaned, the phone already clutched in his hands. The whole room stopped, as if a time bomb was about to blow up in their hands. 

A startling ring from Sehun's cell phone suddenly crosscut the room. Frozen, Sehun stared at the unknown caller ID flashing at him rhythmically with the ringtone. 

“Who is it?” Jongdae questioned hastily.

“I don’t know,”

“Pick the fuck up already, it must be him!” Baekhyun prodded, shoving frantically at Sehun's shoulder. 

It seemed like time slowed down, as something painstakingly tugged at Sehun's heartstrings with every movement he took. He knew it was him, or at least that was what his heart and brain told him to hold onto. He pressed the button to accept the call, rested the phone against his ear, felt his heart speed up maddeningly in his chest, until he finally managed to speak. 

“Jongin?” 

“Please, I need you to come get me.”

It was him. Relief poured through Sehun, hamming inside him, and he hauled himself to his feet. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I don’t know… I’m alone in the middle of nowhere. Sehun, I’m scared.” Jongin confessed miserably, with a crack to his voice that had Sehun's heart squeezing painfully. 

“What happened?”

“I-- I don’t remember.” Jongin stammered, then he paused, sniffed. “I just woke up here. I can’t remember anything.”

The boys were clustering around Sehun, curious wide eyes requesting information, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. 

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jongin sounded unsure, reluctant. “Just a few scratches.”

In order to settle his own nerves and keep his wrath at bay, Sehun closed his eyes. Someone - something - had hurt him somehow. He could feel it in the crack of Jongin's voice. 

“Jongin, I need you to take a deep breath and look around you. Where are you? Where are you calling me from?”

“I’m at a bar. The old guy here let me borrow the phone. But he seems like he wants something in return.” 

Unable to keep still, Sehun turned on his heels, then he turned again, nervously pinching his nose bridge. Jongin was all alone, God knows where, at the mercy of predatory old men. It seemed like they were far from ending this mess.

“Don’t move, okay? Stay there. Don’t talk to anyone. I’m going to pick you up.”

“Sehun…” He called urgently, as if he was about to either beg or warn Sehun about something. Sehun stilled, felt his body grow stiff and cold as Jongin went dead silent on the line. 

“Yeah?”

“Please, don’t take too long.” He whispered, and it sounded a lot like he was imploring to be rescued, like time was running out. In the next heartbeat, Sehun was out the door.

  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


They drove for hours until they reached Jongin's location. The ride was quiet and nerve wracking, with Sehun's foot itching to kick against the pedal and his hands trembling around the wheel. There was nothing guaranteeing Jongin's safety wherever he was. Sehun had no option but hurrying against the clock. 

They reached the outskirts of the city when the sun was taking its leave behind the mountains, bringing the dark shades of night. It was a small vicinity, barely habitable. Its streets were too empty and neglected of lights considering the time of the year, as though not one soul living there no longer cared for festive holidays, or any kind of enjoyment for that matter.

They found Jongin sitting in the corner of a ramshackled bar, lonely, hunched over a table miserably. His shirt was ripped to shreds, dirty and damp. The state of his face and body weren't too different from that. 

As soon as he spotted Sehun striding into the bar followed by the others, he broke out in tears of relief. Sehun dashed towards him desperately and gathered him in his arms, held him close as Jongin wept, wetting his shoulder in dolorous sobs. 

The others watched speechless, shell-shocked expressions on their faces, unsure of what to do other than just stand there. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jongin whimpered against Sehun's chest, carrying the guilt he wasn't supposed to bear. Sehun felt the weight of hot tears on his face as well, and reassured Jongin that everything was fine, that he was safe again, promising him he'd never let him out of sight, that he'd always protect him. 

Yet, Jongin's apologies kept slipping, uncontrollably. Like he needed to utter them to make the pain dissipate. It seemed to not have the effect he was seeking. 

It took him a couple of hours to get himself together and capable of breathing evenly, moving without fearing who stood behind him. 

There was just a vague notion of danger now, and the realization that he was safe slowly sunk in as Sehun held him. They had found each other again, they were together now.

It was time to go home. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_The Changing_

He noticed it pretty soon. Jongin was a little offbeat. Just beneath the surface, he wasn't the same anymore. The glint in his eyes was dull, his smile was colorless, lacking excitement. He was broken.

Ever since that night Sehun brought him back home, Jongin stubbornly refused to talk about it. Knowing when to draw the line, Sehun didn't push it. For all purposes, Jongin would simply state not to have any recollection of those tiresome 24 hours. Sehun wanted to believe him. Sometimes he didn't, torn between wanting to unveil the truth, and wanting to avoid it altogether. He didn't think he was ready for that level of pain should Jongin reveal something too vile and inhuman done to him. 

He wanted to believe Jongin was fine. He wanted to see the light in each of Jongin's smile, behind the darkness he was struggling to conceal. It was still perceptible when he didn't break dance when random songs started playing, or when he refused Sehun's offer for a spooky movie night, or shrugged it off when Sehun asked him about his nephew and niece, like he'd been devoid of his passions. 

Days turned into weeks and Jongin still rose and laid with Sehun in bed. That had changed too. Like something had just shifted and fell into place between them, and now more often than not they found themselves with their mouths busy against each other, tongues desperately licking down each other's throats. Sehun wanted to ask - anxiously so - but he kept it to himself. It didn't matter what they were as long as they were together. If Jongin needed sexual contact in order to let off some steam, Sehun would gladly give it to him. 

Sex was different too, however. It was rougher. Selfish. Jongin was unpredictable, many times he just took it brutally, left Sehun hanging, or entirely oversensitive and boneless. He was insatiable too, demanding Sehun to fall to his knees whenever and wherever he felt like. Sehun obliged every single time, but when he asked to be held afterwards for some aftercare, Jongin always denied him that, just like he refused to switch when Sehun suggested it, something he had always thought Jongin was comfortable with. Apparently not anymore. He wanted to be in control, and sometimes even go as far as physically hurting Sehun, without giving anything in return. Nights were spent internet surfing, searching for explanations for Jongin recent nervewracking sex-drive, and if it meant it was just an aftereffect of trauma manifesting. 

Their sweet love making on the couch from a few days before felt more and more like a distant dream. It was scary. Jongin was scary. He was amiss.

Regardless, Sehun would not give up on him. Not without fighting to his last breath. He owed Jongin as much.

When night fell, Sehun approached Jongin cautiously, slipping beside him on the couch. The TV was on but Jongin's eyes were devouring the pages of the book on his lap, hardly noticing Sehun's presence. There was a time Sehun was the focal point of Jongin's attention wherever they stood in the same room. Sehun used to boast about that, teasing him endlessly, now, as he struggles to even catch the other's eyes, he realized he took that for granted.

"Yixing hyung is coming tomorrow. We're picking him up at the airport."

Jongin glanced at him silently, his face remained stony and cold. And so he frowned. It was almost as if he didn't know who Yixing was. Sehun waited for his usual bright smile to break out and spark his dimples. To no avail. 

"We're planning to celebrate the New Year's night together at Jongdae's hyung place. All of us." He attempted again, to gauge his reaction. When an emotion finally molded into his face, it looked like boredom.

"Okay," Then his focus was back on the book, unfaltering. "Let's not stay there for too long, though. I want to welcome the new year when I'm fucking you." 

The chill that belted down Sehun's spine wasn't one of arousal. 

  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  


Yixing arrived in the morning. He greeted the boys with warm hugs and heartfelt apologies for not being able to make it on time for Christmas. Junmyeon got too emotional, as usual, and teared up a little. They hadn't seen Yixing in a little over a year, after all. Yixing engulfed Sehun in an overeager hug, groping his ass cheeks like he tended to do to show affection. Sehun planted a wet kiss on his dimple in return.

Meanwhile, Jongin watched them off to the side, looking unfriendly but utterly attentive to their interactions, as if he was studying them. Yixing offered a hug, that Jongin rudely refused and stretched a hand instead, which Yixing shook hesitantly, before they all headed out together. Jongin was soon a few good steps ahead of them, side by side with Chanyeol. Sehun let himself lag behind, with the underlying impression that he'd upset Jongin somehow. Admittedly, Jongin was a little territorial. Nothing too out of the ordinary. It was quite of a turn on. He'd never been territorial when it came to the boys. Sehun was the youngest, he was their glue, and he enjoyed showing them the appreciation they deserved. A little bit of skinship shouldn't be a problem. But it felt like it was now.

Sehun sulked, jamming his hand into the pockets of his jacket, wondering if Jongin would want to punish him later, in bed. And he’s definitely not looking forward to it. Not anymore. This game of role play has stopped being fun a long time ago.

He felt a little jumpy at the thought, in a horrifying way. Yixing was soon by his side again, looping an arm around Sehun's while Baekhyun did the same to Yixing, so they walked in a chain, tangled with each other. Sehun tried to work up a small smile. 

"Is he alright? You know, after the…" Yixing motioned vaguely to the air. No one really knew what to call it. The incident, the misfortune, or whatever. It was quite hard to place a name to something they couldn't even puzzle out in the first place. 

"He's a little off. I'm giving him some space until he's ready to open up. I'm being careful with him."

He caught Baekhyun peering at him from behind Yixing's shoulder, intrigued. He kept silent, but his eyes were distant and pensive. None of them brought up the incident, but Baekhyun always seemed antsy about not articulating his thoughts.

Yixing hummed, "Maybe we should keep things simple. I don't think he's in the mood for partying. I mean, he never is but at least he made efforts before." His accent was thick, but Sehun's ears had not lost the capacity to grasp Yixing's pronunciations. 

"How are things between the two of you? Jongin almost glared me to death there."

"They've been fucking. Like a lot. Sehun's often limping." Baekhyun told him, and Sehun gasped and blushed, loosening up his stiff posture just to make sure he wasn't limping right at that moment. There was a time this would make him blush and giddy, but now he just feels ashamed and used. It only makes red lights turn on inside his head.

"Shut up, that's not true. We're… figuring it out. Like I said, being careful for the time being."

"I hope things go well for you." Yixing said truthfully, kind as ever. "Seriously, it's been too long. Just date already." He tapped Sehun's back, and as much as he wanted to laugh, his laughter got stuck in his throat, bound to become a sob.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Yixing still hadn't gotten himself a place in Korea, which was typical of him. The guy never stopped, working was like breathing to him, so much he was already used to crashing at hotel rooms to doze off and wash up only. Hence, they all agreed to drag him to their dorm, which was unoccupied and still available for them. 

It was like being back home again, like they never even left. Some of their belongings were still scattered around the corridors, and soon the whole place was ecstatic and alight again as they lounged around. Yixing was tucked in bed after a wholesome meal Kyungsoo quickly prepared them. His laptop and cellphone were confiscated too, to make sure nothing work-related would interrupt his sacred rest. It felt like a mission accomplished. 

Sehun turned off the lights for his hyung and wandered back into the kitchen, looking for Jongin. He was in the corner behind the counter with Chanyeol, heads down and close, whispering. Lately, they'd grown a lot closer, often going on just the two of them, drifting into each other's orbs easier than ever before. They'd always had this strong fraternal relationship, and Sehun had always been thankful for having Chanyeol dutifully taking care of Jongin at all times, but this time, there was something private and secretive surrounding the two of them that made Sehun feel awfully left out. 

Maybe it was the post-traumatic urge to keep an eye on Jongin, fearing that would be taken out of thin air again. Maybe it was just jealousy. Sehun could feel entitled of that now. Even if it felt wrong when his best friend was involved. Chanyeol was and would always be his best friend regardless of Sehun's unreasonable behavior. He reminded himself of that despite the guilt consuming him whole.

Sehun halted abruptly on his tracks when he spotted the two of them, and immediately the room became dead silent. Chanyeol fixed him with a look that seemed hostile enough to make Sehun shrink into himself. 

"Are you guys talking about me?" He chuckled awkwardly, trying to loosen the tense atmosphere.

"Yes. Can you please leave?" Jongin said disdainfully. Sehun's throat and stomach and heart twisted into horrible knots inside his body. He ducked his head, eyes stinging with tears, and stormed off before he could make a fool of himself and bawl his eyes off in front of them. 

That night, he walked home alone, leaving tears in his path.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


Just a few hours later, they were at Jongdae's place. A new year was advancing, and with it, Sehun hoped it would take his trepidations away. Thankfully, Jongdae's party consisted of only a handful of people, friendly faces Sehun was aware of. The music was pounding softly, and the beverage wasn't heavy. It was manageable. Sehun tried to distract himself with the kids and ignore the fact that Jongin was once again nowhere to be seen, and so was Chanyeol. 

They were most likely together doing whatever they tended to do now that required privacy. Sehun pretended it didn't sting right into his internal wounds. 

Children were a good distraction, they were cute and chubby and gullible, believing Sehun was a real pirate and that he owned a huge ship. But they were also loud and too energetic, and eventually Sehun's system was demanding alcohol, fresh air and silence. After convincing his new little friends that he was going to fetch his ship, he managed to set free from them and stumbled into the corridor. He didn't even know where the kitchen was located. Or the bathroom, where he could hide and cry. 

His ears caught the distant sound of murmuring behind a door. He recognized Chanyeol's deep voice, followed by a laugh that sounded too vile to be his. Sehun froze, felt his heartbeat set to overdrive. When he heard Jongin's honey voice speaking lowly, he pressed his ear against the cold door, closing his eyes so he could focus. It was silent for a moment, and Sehun dreaded what he was about to hear. This should feel wrong, like he was breaking a rule, trespassing a boundary, but curiosity got the best of him, so he pressed harder against the door, until his knuckles were trembling against the wood.

"How does it feel now?" Chanyeol asked.

"He's still fighting from the inside. But he's getting tired. I can feel it."

Sehun creased his brow, confused. The conversation went on. 

"Tell me about it. It took me months to finally knock down Chanyeol. He's tough." Chanyeol huffed out a snort. There was some shuffling in the room, a few footsteps moving, before Jongin spoke again.

"Nobody has noticed anything ever since?"

"Nope. Except for that insufferable little guy. Baekhyun. He's been such a pain in the ass."

Appalled, Sehun clasped a hand over his mouth, to contain a gasp. 

Chanyeol had been usurped right under their noses. For God knows how long, and they miseray failed to notice it. Now, it was Jongin's turn, and Sehun's hands were tied. 

Sehun's brain malfunctioned, unable to keep up with such absurdity. In the grand scheme of things, it just wasn't possible. 

However, when they were basically offerings for deals struck with the devil, that possibility wasn't out of the question. 

"Maybe he has a thing for you. I mean, for Chanyeol." Jongin said, quickly correcting himself as if he wasn't talking to Chanyeol, but someone else, _something else_ , posing as him. "Because I feel like Sehun's been noticing it. Good thing I can easily mislead him by dicking him down. He's so easy and stupid." He scoffed, and it sounded cruel, making Sehun choke on air for the pain he felt deep in his chest. 

"But you've been enjoying playing with him, haven't you?"

"He's obedient. And hot. Of course I enjoy using him. You should do that with the other one too. Baekhyun." Jongin suggested it like breaking hearts was a pastime for them. Something told Sehun they were capable of much worse than that. 

"Nah… I've tried. He asks too many questions. He has no filter. Unfortunately, I can't hurt him."

"He's surely gonna give us a hard time when his time comes. But we don't have to worry about him for now."

"Same about Kyungsoo. He'll surely be hard to tame." Chanyeol remarked bluntly. "Who do you think it's next?"

The question had Sehun panicking. They were all targets in jeopardy . One by one, they would be taken away. And their names were already being scratched off the list.

"I hope it's Junmyeon. He's powerful. The others look up to him. It will make things a lot easier." There was amusement laced in Jongin's voice now, that only broadened as he continued. "I really like this vessel. He's strong and… quite pleasing to the eyes. We should have thought of possessing their bodies a lot sooner."

"I agree. Living with humans is a fucking blast, especially when you're hot, rich and famous. Like my buddy Chanyeol here. There's nothing this guy can't have." Chanyeol boasted, tapping a hand on his puffed out chest. It made Sehun flinch.

"I can't wait until we get all of them so we can finally wreck havoc in this world."

The volume of the music suddenly increased from the living room, and Sehun jolted away from the door. Panic set in deeper. He was breathless and sweating, and then his legs broke into a sprint, but there was nowhere to go. He stumbled and fell, feeling dizzy and numb, as though his soul was no longer connected with his own body. People were already gathered outside, cheerfully staring up at the starry sky to welcome the new year.

Sehun pushed himself up stiffly. 

The countdown had already started. 

  1. He felt Jongin's arms wrap around him from behind. They were cold. 



  1. Jongin spun him around and shoved him against the wall. It hurt more than it should have.



  1. He saw Jongin's wicked smile directed at him. Sehun closed his eyes, scared.



  1. Jongin nuzzled down his jaw. Sehun felt a little sick.



  1. Jongin sank his teeth against his pulse. Sehun winced painfully.



  1. Jongin licked up his neck.



  1. Jongin bit his earlobe.



  1. Then he whispered into his ear: "You're mine." It sounded like a threat.



  1. He claimed Sehun's mouth hungrily. It tasted like death.



  1. Fireworks burst up in the sky in a mixture of sparkly colors, blocking out all sounds along with the boisterous cheering from the guests, except the one screaming in Sehun's mind, telling him that the one who was kissing him, wasn't the Jongin he loved.



  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_The Banishment_

Sehun's options weren't plenty. 

Junmyeon had flown to L.A. with his family for the rest of the holidays. Yixing had also flown back to China the very next morning. Minseok and Kyungsoo at that point were probably far off into the woods somewhere untraceable. Jongdae was out of the question, with a baby under his wings that must never be drawn into this mess at all. And logically, Jongin and Chanyeol were exactly the ones he was running from. It was almost as if they were running away from the real issue, which they tended to do every commence of the year.

That left him with Baekhyun, almost like fate. He was the one they were being vigilant of. 

Albeit the shame, on a fine afternoon of the 1st of January, Sehun found himself helplessly knocking on Baekhyun’s grandmother’s house. 

“Sehunnie? What are you doing here?” He questioned wide-eyed when he came across Sehun’s standing at his door, looking like misery itself. Even Mongryong looked dumbfounded by Sehun’s sudden appearance, tucked safely between Baekhyun’s legs. 

“I’m so sorry, hyung. I have nowhere else to go.”

“Are you okay? What happened?” Baekhyun’s eyes anxiously trailed down Sehun’s frame. He frowned when he didn’t locate any visible damage, then he reformulated his question. “Is Jongin okay?”

“I don’t know.” Sehun mumbled. He kept asking himself that same question, only to realize he had no answers. “I need your help.”

“Who’s there? Sehun, is that you?” Baekhyun’s mom appeared by the hallway, holding a basket filled with fruits. She immediately beamed when she saw Sehun, so he tried to forge a welcoming smile. “Oh my god, look how tall and pretty you are. Come here.” She placed the basket right on the floor and went straight into Sehun’s embrace. She was small and warm, giving him a sense of safety, and for a moment Sehun wanted to curl up against her and let himself cry out. 

He wanted to be held and told everything was going to be okay. 

“Mom, please. Let him breathe.” Baekhyun whined, squeezing himself between them. His mom scowled, whacking a hand at Baekhyun’s head before letting her features soften again when she glanced over at Sehun, her eyes sparkling.

“But I haven’t seen him in so long. Is there anything you need, my darling?”

“He’ll spend the weekend here with us.” Baekhyun cut in, dragging Sehun towards the set of stairs by the wrist despite not being fully aware of Sehun’s motives for showing up unannounced and unsettled. Sehun breathed a sigh of relief as he let himself be led upstairs by the other.

“Of course. You’re welcome here anytime. Do you need me to get you a room?” 

“No, it’s fine. He’ll sleep with me.” Baekhyun screeched from the top of the stair. Mongryong leapt excitedly behind them. “Can you make him a drink? Yeah? We’ll be upstairs.” 

He hurled Sehun fretfully into his bedroom, and then slammed the door shut behind him. Sehun felt a little uneasy by Baekhyun’s precipitated agitation, as if he already had a hunch of what was troubling Sehun.

He’d always had a knack for detecting trouble. 

“Okay, spill.” He demanded, holding a finger at Sehun. Mongryong looked confused between them. 

“I’m so sorry for ruining your holidays. I don’t know what to do. I can’t be in the same place as… him.” Sehun shivered from head to toe, arms wrapped around his own middle. He thought about him, about the way he had used Sehun selfishly for his own pleasure just the other night. No matter how hard he tried, he could no longer find Jongin underneath that layer of pure evil covering him. 

“Who? Jongin?” 

“That’s not Jongin! It’s something else.” He drawled through quivering lips. Baekhyun's eyes widened in horror.

“What? You’re not making any sense and it’s freaking me out!” He shoved gingerly against Sehun's chest, only to push him onto the bed. Sehun fell listlessly, letting his shoulders shrink as well, barely hanging on. 

“Nothing makes sense, hyung. Not anymore.” He said dejectedly, averting his gaze. He felt Baekhyun flop down beside him quietly, Mongryong settling nicely on his lap. 

“I heard them last night at the party. It’s not them. They’ve been possessed or something. I’m not quite sure.”

Their words kept whispering in his ear stubbornly. _'I can't wait until we get all of them. Who's next? Of course I enjoy using him.'_ And they only seemed to get louder and louder. The more Sehun thought it over, the more things got clearer. Like the fact his best friend hadn't been the same for over a year now, and how he was the one who lured Sehun into a trap to get the gift. He wondered in what different ways Baekhyun had picked up on Chanyeol's mysterious changings too. 

“Who are they?” Baekhyun asked, clearly just to make sure his suspicions had been correct all along. His expression showed that confirming it was the last thing he wanted. Sehun swallowed before answering.

“Jongin and Chanyeol hyung.”

“I knew it. I fucking knew it.” He threw an aggressive, frustrated punch down the mattress. "Is he hurting you?"

"That doesn't matter." Sehun pretended the bruises littered on his skin weren't still aching, like a sharp blade cutting through his wounds. “They talked about you. They’re chasing after all of us. Anyone can be next.”

“Are they-- Can we still--” Baekhyun trailed off, blinked rapidly as though getting himself together. 

“We can still save them. Jongin’s still there. I can feel it.” Sehun said, hopeful. Jongin wouldn't give up so easily. “Will you help me?”

Baekhyun's pale hand slid over Sehun's, and it felt warm, a kind of warmth Sehun hadn't felt lately. He twined their fingers tightly, and graced Sehun with a tender smile. 

“When do we begin?” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


A couple of sleepless nights later, Baekhyun aggressively dumped a bowl of rice and kimchi right on top of Sehun's book. Sehun jerked, pushing his chair back with a screech and haphazardly tossing his books aside.

"Hyung, what the fuck?"

"Watch your language. You should take a break, kid. You gotta eat at some point."

Sehun stared at the clock hanging just above the desk. It was again 10pm, but Sehun swore it was just noon a few hours ago. Still, his stomach didn't even bother to hum in response to the dish sitting in front of him, warm and smelling deliciously nice. 

"I'm not hungry. I'm just going to keep doing my research." He waved a hand at Baekhyun as he reached back for his books. The older grunted by his side, sliding the dish further towards Sehun.

"You can do it while you eat." He insisted emphatically. "Hey, talk to me. What have you been up to?" He pulled out a chair for himself, and Sehun wondered if Baekhyun was willing to actually feed him on the mouth. It wouldn't be the first time. 

"I've picked up where Jongin left off. I've been doing some digging." He explained while he flipped through some pages of a dusted book he'd grabbed at the local library. Many others were strew about the desk, others were packed on the bed. He still had a lot of studying to get done. 

Baekhyun grabbed one of the books for inspection. Curses, hexes and spells INC. That one had a gripping, yet suspicious reading. Most of them felt like he was embarking on a Harry Potter journey more than anything. They were magical but not helpful at all. They were just fairy tales. Sehun was dealing with the ugly, dark stuff. 

"Apparently, there's a reason we become targets during this time of the year. It's something related to our spirits becoming more vulnerable and open." He told Baekhyun as he deliberately shoved a spoon filled with rice into his mouth, just to please the other. "That's most likely when the ritual was performed."

"You mean the so-called ritual our ancestors did to get gold?" Baekhyun pulled a face, still having a hard time wrapping those facts around his head. He threw the book aside, disregarding it completely. 

"Exactly." Sehun said after another wholehearted intake of rice. "This is a curse. All curses are bound to be broken, right?"

Baekhyun shrugged, uncertain. Unfortunately, he wasn't as adept on the subject as Jongin. 

"I hope so. Do we need to suck any dick, kill someone?" He said jocularly, but Sehun could see the wariness through him, deep in his eyes. Sehun chuckled, unable to drift into the playfulness like Baekhyun expected. There was a way to break the curse, technically. But Sehun didn't think Baekhyun would be too pleased to hear it. 

"I'm still not sure. I'll get around to it eventually." He said, just to throw Baekhyun off a little. He suddenly felt full, but not satisfied in the slightest. Lying didn't taste good. He pushed the bowl aside still with half of its contents. Baekhyun glanced at it unhappily.

"Your folks know you're here, though? Have you talked to them?"

"They know. Don't worry." Sehun assured, gulping down a large sip of water from the bottle Baekhyun had brought with him. There was a small slice of chocolate cake on a plate too, a fork and a knife accompanying. Napkins as well. Sehun's chest tightened a little. Baekhyun was gratuitously caring and generous while Sehun was just a burden lodged in his bedroom, taking up time and space. He was even wearing the other's burrowed sweatpants, though they fell a little too short on his legs and loosely around his hips. 

The doorbell rang suddenly, buzzing through the house. They both froze, caught off guard. For the past few days they’d been the only ones in the location ever since Baekhyun had sent his family away downtown. Sehun's gut told him the unexpected visit couldn't be less than bad news. 

"You haven't told anyone I'm here, have you?"

"No, of course not. Stay put." Baekhyun sprang out of his seat and padded downstairs hectically. Sehun grew motionless, as though he was hiding, in danger. Caution was never too much.

He could hear distantly as Baekhyun exchanged rushed words with someone. Their voices were drawing nearer, louder. Baekhyun sounded antsy. When the sound of footsteps came from just behind the door, Sehun considered actually hiding. 

"He isn't here, I told you." He heard Baekhyun hiss when they reached his earshot, sending Sehun's senses to alarm. 

"You're lying." Jongin snarled. There was a thud and then a pause until he spoke again, coldly. "Don't touch me."

Panic-stricken, Sehun found himself rooted on the chair, his capability of thinking straight completely lost. When Jongin burst into the room, fear overcame Sehun's rational senses. There was something about Jongin's hearty smile that was quite disorienting, and Sehun was nearly fooled by it, forgetting he was supposed to be avoiding the other, not falling for his charms. 

"Hey, Sehunnie. I knew you would be here. Why aren't you coming home?" Jongin's lips formed a pout, and Sehun honestly was bordering on a crying fit. The demon made it seem effortless and authentic, like the barrier between him and Jongin was barely sustained, making Sehun feel pathetic and utterly bewildered, regret already sitting on his stomach.

"I-- I figured you'd want to visit your family. You haven't spoken with them in a while." He stammered, unsure of why he felt the need to lie in the first place. 

"It's okay. I'm with you."

Jongin chanced a step closer, and while Sehun flinched on instinct, Baekhyun pressed a palm against Jongin's chest in order to retain him. Suddenly, everyone went still, tension charging up the air. Jongin peered down the hand clinging to him firmly. 

"Can you wait outside?" Sehun chimed, cautiously. Baekhyun glanced at him suspiciously, unyielding. "I'll be okay," He assured him when Baekhyun didn't budge. He could see the clench of Jongin's jaw and how his teeth gritted, angered. One or two seconds passed, until Baekhyun finally let go.

"I'm right outside. Scream if you need me." He instructed as he strode out of the room, clicking the door shut behind him. 

It was only the two of them now. Yet somehow, it felt like a third presence was lurking, watching them. It was dark and creepy. 

"Are you mad at me, Hunnie?" Jongin's voice was small, innocent. He inched even closer, blinked at Sehun innocuously. It took Sehun a deep breath so he could manage to speak. 

"No, I'm not."

"Then why won't you come home with me? I'm missing you." Jongin brought his hand to Sehun's face, curling tenderly. "Don't you miss me too?" His nose brushed ever so slightly over Sehun's cheek, causing him to shiver and render his eyes closed. 

He missed Jongin beyond the realm of reason. That's why the one standing in front of him, touching him, could have him either drastically relapse or fiercely resist. 

"I think we should stop." He breathed, and Jongin went rigid against him. When he pulled back, his brown eyes were drenched in dismay. It almost hurt to watch. 

"What do you mean?"

Sehun sighed, gripping Jongin's wrist and peeled his hand off his face. 

"This-- me and you. It's not working. We should stop." It sounded ridiculously like a badly written romcom breakup scene. Staged and dull. Sehun hated every word of it, and it felt strange to say it to Jongin, of all people, when all he really wanted was to melt against him and never let go. Tears gathered at the corners of Jongin's eyes. 

In his journey of life and meaningless relationships, Sehun had unintentionally made a lot of people cry for him. He never allowed himself to feel guilty, not until now, even when he knew the one he was rejecting wasn't really Jongin. 

Jongin was just a puppet under his strings.

"You're breaking up with me?"

"Am I? What were we?"

In denial, Jongin shook his head and chuckled dryly. He took Sehun's hands back into his own and squeezed them against his chest. "Please, don't do this to me." A tear ran down his cheek, soundless and real. Sehun was thoroughly impressed with the performance.

"Stop. You don't have to cry." 

"Can we fix this, please? Tell me what I did wrong. We can start over. This doesn't have to end." Jongin pleaded along with a sob, leaning in, requesting a kiss, as if he had the right to it. The sheer audacity from the imposter was almost unbearable enough to repulse Sehun.

"Just stop! Stop with this act. Stop pretending. I know it's not you." He snapped, pushing Jongin off, anger burning through him. 

"I-- I don't understand. Sehun, it's me. I'm real." Jongin assured, his facade far from breaking, steady. He was unbreakable. 

"Please, stop. Just fucking stop."

The sting of Sehun's words had Jongin flinching. He was still, shocked-cold. His expression went blank as he stared at Sehun, his tears stopped leaking from his eyes. Sehun caught the exact moment his front fell, devilishly.

"You're so ungrateful, seriously. You spent years pinning for me to pull out like this? When I fuck you, I'm doing you a favor." He snickered, the tone of his voice completely altered. It was huskier and ferocious.

Jongin was no longer there. It was just the evil, the tamer. Naked and brazen. His mouth curled upwards wickedly, but before Sehun allowed himself to succumb to his fears, he reminded himself his Jongin was still there, buried and trapped underneath that veil of horror.

"Is that so? Weren't you the one begging last night?" Sehun returned, awed by his own newfound boldness. "Like you do every night? You could be anywhere right now, yet you're here, asking me to go back with you."

Something akin to amusement spread over Jongin's features. He tilted his head, sizing Sehun up and down, rather impressed. Sehun gulped, struggling to keep his emotions compacted and not show any traces of disconcertment. He couldn't let the enemy at advantage. 

"Boldness looks good on you, Sehun. You should try being less whiny and I could actually like you a little." Jongin smirked, pleasure swimming in his eyes, as if he was staring at someone he knew, someone he missed, reflecting on Sehun's new demeanor. 

It was working. Sehun was reaching deeper within the demon, down to the core where he hoped to find a switch, some sort of humanity, even in the tiniest amount, so he kept it on. 

"You haven't even seen what I'm capable of. I won't let you have him. I'll get Jongin back."

"Are you sure? He seems to be just fine here with me. I give him power." A malicious chuckle slipped fromJongin's lips. He was gloating, toying with Sehun's feelings. Messing him up. 

"I give him more than that."

Jongin rolled his eyes at that, followed by a disdainful groan. When he spoke he sounded pissed. "You're such a pain in the ass. I'll make sure you're next. I can't wait to shut that rash mouth of yours."

He pounced on Sehun in the next beat, hauling him against the wall, hand wrapped tightly around his neck. Sehun gasped and whimpered, but the scream remained stuck in his throat, impeded by both panic and precaution, unwilling to submit. Jongin's eyes swept over him, regarding him with palpable distaste. 

"It's on you, Sehun. It's either him… or you."

"Fine. You want a soul? I'll give you one." Sehun manages to wiggle himself free, perhaps by sheer force or just a matter of luck. 

His mind lost all senses for logic due to the colossal panic that struck him. He scrambled to the desk, grabbing the knife - The one Baekhyun had offered him later with a meal and compassion alike - pressing its sharp tip against his pulse. This was supposed to be the last resort. The way out he was avoiding telling, for he knew no one would have agreed with. It wasn't feasible, but it was an alternative all the same. 

He didn't plan it quite like this, so soon, so unprepared. But the moment demanded a quick, practical decision, and Sehun was taking it, unwaveringly. 

"What are you doing?" Jongin asked through hissed teeth, suddenly looking alarmed and cautious. Sehun had figured out long ago they were all to be inviolable. It was substantial to their taming process. The less damaged the vessel, the higher were the chances of a successful possession. He knew both Jongin and the one commanding him wouldn't let Sehun harm himself.

"I'm making sure you're getting a soul." His hand trembled around the handle of the knife, the blade sunk deeper, rupturing his skin and drawing blood. Jongin groaned, disgruntled, eyeing the blood trickling down Sehun's wrist. 

"You will not do that. You can't. You don't have the guts."

"Then watch me." Sehun said, tightening his grip around the knife with a vicious desire to end it. All of this. All he had to do was cut deeper, impair himself and become unwarranted.

A soul for a soul, and the curse would be broken. 

"Drop it, Sehun. We need you alive." Jongin warned him, ready to dive on him should Sehun give him a chance. However, Sehun didn't falter, he allowed his mind to wander, to his friends and family, to the last kiss he had shared with Jongin. He always knew he would be the one to sacrifice himself in the long run. And if he was supposed to die like this, he would die unregretfully. 

"Then you won't have me." 

There was a smile of acceptance on his face when he pierced himself. It didn't hurt at all. His body floated and his ears muffled the desperate sounds erupting around him.

It was freeing. 

And then, just as easily, it was over.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

  
  
  
  
  


There was a small package tucked under the Christmas tree. A gift. It caught his eye right after he hung the last sparkly adornment onto the tall tree settled in the corner of the living room. He crouched low and stared at it for a moment. He found a note stuck into its silky pink ribbons. It had his name on it. 

Sehun smiled. 

This was the first time in years that receiving a gift brought him joy. No fear nor anxiety. Just a genuine, consistent joy. He picked up the package and placed it on the table just so he could admire it a little bit longer. He'd learnt ever since how to appreciate gifts he'd be given, instead of just ripping out the wrapping and throwing away the package. There was something meaningful in the thoughtful act of gifting someone, it was a way of expressing feelings other than in just words. Sehun realized that quite late. 

Carefully, he took his time opening the gift. It was an empty card. Just like the one he'd received a year ago. For a second his heart sank, and goosebumps broke out along his skin. He grabbed the card and flipped it over, coming across the scribbled message on it.

_'Merry Christmas,_

_I love you. Very, very much.'_

Warmth suddenly enveloped his heart, and his eyes soon found the signature in the corner of the card. 

_'Kim Jongin'_

Strong arms wrapped around Sehun's middle from behind, warm lips pressed gently against the back of his neck. Sehun melted into the embrace, surrendering to the serenity of it. 

"D'you like my gift?" Jongin whispered in his ear, the tone of a smile in his voice. 

"Yeah. Merry Christmas to you too, my love." He shifted into Jongin's arms to face him, cradling his beautiful face into his palms and molding his lips against his. Jongin eagerly reciprocated immediately, tightening his hold around Sehun as he deepened the kiss lazily. 

Jongin was warm as ever, solid and just _him._

"How do you want to celebrate tonight?" Jongin asked when they finally managed to pull away from each other's mouths. 

"I really don't know." Sehun shrugged a little distracted, staring at Jongin's shiny, plump lips, just begging to be kissed and nibbled some more. 

"How does one celebrate the banishment of a curse?"

"I didn't do much. You did it yourself. You literally ripped yourself off the spell on your own. That was so badass."

Jongin chuckled full and uninhibited. "Well, I had to save my boyfriend from dying. I still can't believe you did that to yourself." His face grew tight. He curled a hand around Sehun's wrist, caressed the scar with his fingertips. He brought it to his lips, kissing it as though he could make the wound disappear, at least the traumas underneath it. 

Sehun shivered, feeling a wave of fluttering heat coursing under his skin. 

"I had to get you out of there somehow."

"You did. We did it. Together. We're fine now. All of us." Jongin rested his forehead against Sehun's, and they both let their eyes slip shut, basking in each other's presence. 

The boys arrived soon after, carrying piles of gifts to share among themselves, exchanging hugs and kisses all the same. Yixing made it this time as well, completing the group. Outside, the weather was cold and snowy-white, but inside the loft, it was festive and warm. 

Chanyeol - having been freed from the entity with no recollections of it to tell the story - nearly knocked Sehun out with a warmhearted, overly affectionate embrace. Though he looked slightly frail, the bright glint of his everlasting avidity shone again in his eyes. 

There was a little bit of reluctance when they opened their gifts in front of the fireplace, which was rational, considering how long they were victims of the unknown. In the end, when they turned out unwrapping only harmless objects, they breathed out sighs of relief. 

They sang Christmas Carols and Miriah Carey covers as they snuggled on the couch. Baekhyun was loud and chaotic and hyperactive. Chanyeol started silly contests that he ended up taking too seriously. Yixing fell asleep in the middle of the movie they played. Junmyeon teared up again and blamed on the movie, though it was comedy. Kyungsoo smiled constantly, through the whole night, especially when he was cooking. Minseok kept things clean and neat until he had too much alcohol and started twerking to All I Want for Christmas is You. Jongdae was all over the place, a literal ball of sunshine bolting through the walls. Jongin, well, when all the others left before the night was over to spend Christmas with their loved ones, Jongin stayed. And when midnight struck, he kissed Sehun. 

They kissed until the snow ceased its falling and dawn became morning.

It was Christmas day again, and they were fine. 

**Author's Note:**

> In case you are confused, here goes a quick explanation on how Sehun managed to break the curse. The evil forces weren't supposed to tame the boys. They were supposed just to take away their souls, but they decided to possess them and have some fun with the humans in the living world. They were going to take them one by one. For that, they needed the boys healthy and strong physically, but mentally they had to be vulnerable and spent.  
> Sehun figured that out and decided to give what was needed to finish the circle of the curse.  
> A soul. His own, for that matter. This would end the circle and the boys would be free. You can assume Jongin broke himself free from his trance by the sheer force of his love for Sehun and managed to save him in time. But Sehun's sacrifice was still valid, because it  
> was genuine, so the curse was successfully banished and the demons were no longer capable of inhabiting their bodies.
> 
> Hope that was fun.
> 
> Merry Christmas, everyone.


End file.
